The symbolism was telling. Voters rejected Munsil, a clean-cut, family-values candidate, in favor of an unmarried Napolitano, whom many observers assume is a closeted lesbian.

As Napolitano herself had pointed out before the election, there already was a law — Munsil's law — prohibiting same-sex unions. A constitutional amendment was unnecessary.

But Herrod, then CAP's interim president, would lead another charge to amend the state constitution in 2008, this time with a simplified version that wouldn't affect benefits for domestic partners.

Lee Munsil.com

In 1988, Trent Franks started the Arizona Family Research Institute, which later became CAP. Len Munsil (pictured) headed CAP for more than 10 years.

Social Eye Media

The refined initiative, Prop 102, was referred to the ballot by the Legislature on the last day of its session with the help of notorious shenanigans by state Senator Jack Harper, a CAP supporter who cut off gay Democrats' filibuster of the resolution.

Prop 102 prevailed by a 56-to-44 vote.

In a YouTube interview for CAP's legislative ally Alliance Defending Freedom, Herrod called the passage of Prop 102 "one of the greatest victories" ever for the Center for Arizona Policy.

"Arizona went from the only state in the country to defeat a marriage amendment, in 2006, to pass a marriage amendment, in 2008," she said proudly.

Nevertheless, the LGBT community remained a frequent CAP target. In 2012, Herrod was blamed for single-handedly killing an anti-bullying bill sponsored by state Senator David Schapira.

According to Democrat Schapira, Frank Antenori, the Senate Republican whip at the time, used an obscure rule to keep the bill — which addressed bullying in schools and didn't mention gays — to delay a vote.

"[Antenori] held it until the very last day to transmit bills over to the House," recalls Schapira, now out of the Legislature and running for the Tempe City Council.

"When I asked him to release it, he said Cathi Herrod had told him it was a 'backdoor gay bill — no pun intended,' and that, therefore, he was not going to release it."

Antenori, who is also out of the Legislature now, remembers things differently.

"I never said that," Antenori replies when asked about the alleged "backdoor" comment. "I did tell [Schapira] that [Herrod] had heartburns with it. And several members had concerns because they saw it as a cloaked social engineering-slash-liberal indoctrination bill."

In any case, Schapira finally got the bill to the floor for a vote, and it passed. But it was minutes past the deadline for House consideration. The bill was dead.

At a press conference soon after the bill's demise, Schapira berated Herrod, saying even Republican staffers regarded her as a "terrorist," and he went on to call her a "legislative terrorist."

In an online memo to CAP followers, Herrod suggested that Schapira's bill was part of an agenda by gay-rights groups "to gain access to our public schools" so gays could "teach the anti-bullying training to our students."

Schapira still becomes angry when discussing the episode. He says the only legislators who had a problem with the bill parroted CAP's talking points to him or admitted that they wouldn't vote for it because Herrod didn't want them to — or both.

Neither Herrod nor CAP have made bones about their willingness to discriminate against others.

A volunteer application for CAP on file with stopcap.org makes this clear.

"As a religious institution," it states, "CAP is permitted and reserves the right to select volunteers on the basis of religion."

The application also requires that the applicant sign a statement of faith, affirming that his or her views comport with CAP's.

During a panel discussion at the 2012 National Religious Freedom conference in the nation's capital, Herrod defended her right to discriminate.

"I'm a licensed attorney with the state of Arizona," Herrod told her audience. "Two different times our State Bar of Arizona tried to enact provisions that would prohibit me from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression — both in the oath I'm required to take and in my ethical rules."

And yet CAP also shows that it is possible to serve both God and Mammon.

In the aforementioned Salon.com story, according to documents obtained by reporter Eli Clifton, an executive for Hobby Lobby is the "largest contributor" to the National Christian Charitable Foundation, which in turn has supported both CAP and its ideological ally, Alliance Defending Freedom, also based in Arizona.

"In 2011," Clifton writes, "the National Christian Charitable Foundation contributed $9,606,281.88 of the Alliance Defending Freedom's $36,379,373 grant revenue. That same year, the NCF contributed $236,250 of the Center for Arizona Policy's $1,662,355 in grant revenue.

"Overall, from 2002 to 2011 the NCF contributed $1,481,343 to the Center for Arizona Policy and $31,024,584.30 to the Alliance Defending Freedom."

This is a significant find for Clifton, a fellow with the Investigative Fund, a nonprofit journalistic enterprise of liberal magazine The Nation.

This is because, as a nonprofit 501(c)3, CAP doesn't have to disclose its top donors to the public, though it does have to disclose them to the IRS.

And the Salon.com piece documents a link between CAP's expertise in pushing extremist laws through the Legislature and its source of revenue.

CAP's religious mission dovetails with its ability to raise money. The group's website brags that since 1995, more than 120 CAP-supported bills have become law, 60 during the last five years of Herrod's tenure.

As a supporter of CAP I feel you have misrepresented CAP starting in your title "Cathi Harrod's Center for Arizona Policy Hates Gays..." There is no gay bashing done by Cathi or her organization. On the contrary Christians are asked to love others. The Bible does say that sex between men is not the way God has intended sex to be. CAP is not out to hate gays. They are out to promote a society with strong moral values and liberty for individuals.

Arizona's SB1070, and SB1062 was passed by legislators belonging to a church that still worships a child molesting Poligamist leader that had about thirteen wives half of which were under the age of thirteen.

Brewer only vetoed SB1062 out of fear of lost revenues for the State, not for her lack of Hate.

This criminal has coledges in his name and fled justice for his crimes in Illinios.

And to think that millions of Dollars are being wasted just to push other people's beliefs down other people's throat, we need to force the Government and Supreme Court to stop allowing all of these religious groups which do not amount but to sect groups, and have a whole bunch of legislators both at State and National levels in their pockets, to push for enactments like these to enable these groups to push the envelope to the maximum and all they do is create doubt, hatred anxiety and anguish, and all for what!! to allow a bunch of politicians to give them a bigger podioum, and to give these religious zealots more freedom to create Havoc???

If being religious means that you have to be intolerant and to hate others most people don't want to be part of that. Our government has to deal with everyone. This has absolutely no place in our government.

All you have to do is read the comments below to appreciate the true hate that people like Herrod, Huckabee, and Palin represent and inspire. The insults operate on a 6th grade level, which appears to be the mentality of the people that organizations like the Tea Party and the Center for Az Policy represent.

Apparently Cathi Herrod doesn't understand "religious freedom". Freedom of religion doesn't equate to freedom to discriminate. While she is free to practice her religion any way she chooses (go to church, pray, dance with the devil, etc), she, nor anyone else, is not allowed to prevent my religious activities and as an equally-righted American Citizen, I am/will be allowed anywhere in public she chooses to be. We Americans call this Liberty.

She can survive and thrive only in a shithole like your state of Arizona. In normal states on the Coast, this woman would be no more paid attention to than a bag lady screaming on the L train or Market Street.

As always, when attempting to persecute others in the name of their religion, the religious reich does not shrink from anything, no lie, no matter how stupid, egregious, or hateful is too much. Nothing is forbidden, no matter how illegal, distasteful, ridiculous, or lacking in human decency is something they will not use joyfully.

Christians are the most judgmental and unforgiving people in the world.

Lets pressure these wacko politicians from the other side. Why can't a groups of sensible, good, sane people of AZ organize. Then like the wackos lead by these Bible freaks find sensible people to oppose these crazy right wing politicians not only in the primary but in the general election as well? We might be able to get rid of Biggs, Yarbrough, Reagan, Crandell, Kavanagh, Montenegro, Ugenti, DiCiccico, McCain, Franks, Flake and the other embarrassing nuts that now represent AZ. The sane and sensible people of AZ already had success we got rid of Frank Antenori and his clone Ron Gould.

Sadly, these people are still out there. Have they met a gay person? Spent any time with this person? And, how about their (the anti-gay group) RELIGION. Where in their Bible does it mention gay men and women? I thought there was a "love thy neighbor," "judge not lest ye be judged," etc. The way some people spout their religion can be rather disconcerting. No, I have no religion. But then I have no prejudice nor any hate for anyone who is different.

Don't hate the player, hate the game! Gays have the problem but I still interact with them, professionally. I choose not to socialize with them because God has claimed that it is wrong. I believe that is what this lady is all about. Homey don't play dat!

@rockdog48 I assume you wait by the fireplace each December 25th for Santa as well? There are many books that proclaim Santa exists, even books to tell children to behave or Santa won't visit them. It sounds a little bit like the bible huh? Be good, follow what we say or you won't be resurrected into heaven. All fairytales and scare tactics, luckily some of us are still rational people.

I agree. It's become so bad that "hypocrite" and "christian" are semantically equal.

FYI, there is no evidence that the mythical Jesus ever existed.

As stated by Dr. Bart Ehrman, Professor of religious studies at the University of North Caroline, Chapel Hill, NC said, "In the entire first Christian century, Jesus is not mentioned by a single Greek or Roman scholar, politician, philosopher, or poet. His name never appears in a single inscription, and it is never found in a single piece of private correspondence. Zero! Zip references!"

Does your "rationality" ever cause you to question your simplistic views of religion? Does it ever make you wonder, if Christians are merely following such an obvious behavior control system, why are scientists, physicians, artists, highly imaginative and successful entrepreneurs, and many other people who are smarter and more successful than you, followers of such a system?

They are mostly very wealthy cults, too. I read that, if all religions paid taxes like any other business, it would result in 71 Billion dollars of revenue in the USA alone. I'm not certain about that number, but it would certainly go a long way toward health care and education.

@James777 If it were a true statement that many scientists, physicians, and artists did follow Christianity then yes it would make me wonder. The fact is most physicians and scientists believe in evolution, hence the basis of their career so no I don't ever wonder about that.

@splashdoggie@rockdog48 One thing about Christians: we don't claim to be perfect. Unlijke you self righteous libtards. But if it comes down to it, I'll drop you where you stand! That sissy boy, is one thing that you can take to the bank....!